Device for fastening the slats of shutters or blinds.



No. 740,634. PATENTED 00:2. 6, 1903. vW. W. DU 1301s. DEVICE FOR FASTENING THE SLATS 0F SHUTTBRS 0R BLINDS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 19 1901. NO MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM WARD DU BOIS, OF NEWBURGH, NEW YORK.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,634, dated October 6, 1903.

Application filed November 19,1901. Serial lie. 32,813. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beitknownthat I,WILLTAM WARDDUBQIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Newburgh, county of Orange, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Fastening the Slats of Shutters or Blinds, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The subject of the present invention is a device for fastening the slats of shutters or blinds, and has for its objects a simple, cheap, and readily-applied device of the character mentioned that can with insignificant effort be operated to permit the pivoted slats of a shutter or blind to be adjusted to the desired extent and be automatically so retained by the novel fastener upon its release.

In pursuance of the above I have devised a highly simple and novel fastener involving in its preferred form a single length of wire peculiarly bent, a simple bracket carrying the wire and adapted to be secured on the lower portion, of the shutter or blind by a single fastening-screw.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is an inner elevation of the lower portion of a shutter or blind with adjustable slats and having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the parts disclosed in Fig. 1, the section being taken in the plane indicated by the dotted line 2 2 in said latter figure. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating the slats as being differently adjusted.

The vertical series of horizontal slats A have" the end pivots a bearing in the vertical parts B B of the shutter or blind frame B, the entire series of slats being all connected together at their inner edges to pivotally move in unison through the medium of a centrally-located vertical rod 0, attached to the edge portion of each slat by a stapleand-loop connection 0, which admits of the relative pivotal movements of the slats simultaneous with the vertical movements of the rod in adjusting the gagement with the bracket.

slats to close the same or open them to any desired extent. This is a familiar construction and is only described for the purpose of -illustrating the application of my invention.

As is well known, after a period of usage the slat-pivots become so loose in their bearings that the weight of the connecting-rod op- Y crates to normally hold the slats in a position the exact reverse of that illustrated in Fig. 2,

thus permitting dust to sift downwardly between the slats to the space behind the shutter or blind, and in case the window happens to open it passes into the room. A further objection connected with this looseness is that the weight of the rod precludes the slats being retained in any partly-opened position to which they may be adjusted. By the employment of the simple and inexpensive device embodying my invention these difliculties are obviated and the slats positively held in any desired position in a highly satisfactory manner.

In its commercial form the improved slatfastener comprises two parts-a small and simple form of bracket 1) and a vertical extended loop E, of wire of peculiar shape.

The bracket D consists of a plate of sheet (although it may be cast) metal having vertical folds to present the vertical parallel side sockets dcl and the intermediate part cl, the latter having a perforation for the passage of a securing-screw d Securely fastened in the socket cl are the lower end portions of the verticalmembers e of the vertically-extended loop E, of wire, and possessing a limited amount of spring, Working from the point of its en- W The vertical members have the slight curvature away from "the shutter or blind indicated in Figs. 2 and Sand at their upper ends merge into acute bends e e, which mutually converge to constitute a contraction at the upper end of the loop, as illustrated in Fig. 1. The closely-located connecting portions at the top are bent at a rightangle to the bends e andaiford a finger-rest e for manipulating the springloop. As before stated, this spring-loop E is made from a single piece of wire appropriately bent, but it may be made of two sec tions, each embodying one of the vertical members, upper converging bend, and part of the finger-rest.

The bracket D will be secured on the lower portion of the shutter or blind frame, so that the upper contraction formed by the convergin g bends 6 will normally clamp the adjacent part of the connecting-rod C to hold the same against reasonable vertical movement. When it is desired to adjust the slats, a finger of one hand is employed to depress the fingerrest, which on account of the compound bend presented by the rest and the bends 6 will occasion the spring-loop E to move relative to its connection with the bracket and withdrawing the upper clamping portion out of engagement with the connecting-rod O. The other hand can then be utilized to vertically move said rod to adjust the slats to the desired extent, and upon the removal of the finger from the rest (2 the loop will spring back and the upper contracting portion again clamp and hold the rod and slats in the position to which they have been moved.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise construction shown and described, as modifications may be made in the minor details and features and still be within the scope of my invention.

I am aware that in blind-stops a pawl and ratchet have been used to hold the slat-rod, as shown in United States Patent No. 135,138 also, that two spring-hooks interlapping each other have been used, as shown in United States Patent No. 461,524, but

hat I claim as new is- A blind-stop formed of a single wire doubled in the middle to form two equal arms and there turned over to makea spring as well as a finger-rest; whereby the pressure of one finger upon the rest will unclasp the arms from the blind-rod while on removal of the finger, the arms will press the rod on each side as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention 1 have signed my name, IH'PIGS- ence of two witnesses, this 5th day of November, 1901.

WVILLIAM WVARD DU BOIS.

W'itnesses JAMES GREER, JOHN CALDWELL, Jr. 

